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Here are the Biggest Job Search Mistakes You Must Avoid

Posted March 7th, 2018

There are many situations in life when making a mistake is perfectly OK. Job searching, unfortunately, is not one of them.

Making an inappropriate remark during a job interview or not customizing your cover letter can quickly get you eliminated from consideration. Skipping a networking event can cause you to miss out on a dream job opportunity. Even in today’s labor market, a single typo on your resume can be enough to sink your chances for getting a job.

When it comes to landing a great job, there’s very little margin for error. You need to be careful and strategic in what you do, say and write. Making any kind of major mistake will make your job search much longer and more challenging.

Below is a short list of some of the biggest job seeking errors you can make, and how to avoid them.

Not Reading the Entire Job Description

A common mistake is to see what looks like a posting for the ideal job, then rush to send out a resume and cover letter without reading the entire job description. When you do this, you can easily miss out on important details like an essential degree requirement.

Not properly reading over job descriptions can mean squandered time and energy; adjusting your resume and composing a cover letter. Read each job posting carefully to avoid this waste and frustration.

Not Sending in a Cover Letter

When a job posting only asks for a resume, you might assume a cover letter isn’t necessary. Unless the posting specifically says not to send in a cover letter, you need to submit one. Cover letters aren’t just a writing exercise meant to give you flashbacks to high school. They are a useful tool for hiring managers who want to get a better sense of their applicants.

If a cover letter appears to be optional, submitting one can put you above others who did not send one in.

Not Knowing Your Value

Many big mistakes have to do with not getting a job offer, but when you don’t know your value as a professional – you’re setting yourself up for an underwhelming job offer.

Before you start looking for a new job, you need to do some poking around on the internet and figure out the average salary range for someone with your skills and experience level. For women, knowing your worth is especially important when it comes to potential gender pay biases.

Not Having References Lined Up and Prepared

Another important thing to do before you start applying to new jobs is to have your professional references lined up. Be sure you have contacted these people, gotten their permission and talked to them about your job search. You should also discuss some of your finer points, as well as anything they should avoid mentioning.

At Career Concepts, we help job seekers avoid these major mistakes and more. If you are currently looking for help in your job search, please contact us today.